IAOPA - ICAO Report July 2023

The International Council of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associations (IAOPA) is the only GA Association to have a seat at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). This is important as the agreed Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) issued by ICAO form the basis of international civil aviation regulation. 

Below is a summary of the meetings and activities held in July to give you a sense of the aviation discussions occupying IAOPA and various working groups at ICAO:

• Pilot Training and Licensing Panel’s Pilot Sub Group met to plan PTLP/4 Plenary Agenda;
• Mental Health Working Group met to discuss antidepressant use and their side-effects, and how various States’ regulations vary;  antidepressant use has increased 147% 2000-2020; about 12% of a population suffers depression;
  
• Safe Carriage of Goods Specific Working Group met to develop safeguards further.
  
• The Runway Classification group met to define an instrument runway.
  
• The Licensing and Training sub-group discussed the effect of Flying Schools to be able to employ Flying Instructors with only a PPL to teach ab-initio students to the PPL level. IAOPA participates in the Pilot Licensing and Training Working Group (PTLP-WG) to develop a Job Card for the ICAO Air Navigation Commission to approve.  That is the first step toward creating a change of the ICAO Annex 1 training environment Standard.

The proposals will be on the PTLP agenda for the November 2023 Plenary meeting. If the proposed actions are approved then the ICAO rulemaking process kicks in and a rule change could be in effect as soon as 3 years after that.